Hello and thank you to all the members whose useful posts I've been reading for months. In a few weeks my spanking new backyard hives will receive packages and I will join you. I'm starting out with one colony of Italian ( in the green hive) and one carnolian ( in the red hive). Plants have been trimmed, gravel yard base in place, neighbors advised ( they want a share of the honey) and books, videos and forums reviewed yet again.

I'm sure I'll stumble this first year, but with determination, forgiving bees, and the help from all of you...it will be a success....and fun.

Pomp

03-18-2014, 06:06 PM

Vance G

Re: New from western Washington

I guarantee you both fun and frustration. Don't be afraid to take a look inside your hives but learn to do it quickly. It is hard not to wear out the covers too! Especially after you hive your nucs or packages, it is important to disturb them as little as possible. My advice is to wait three days after installing in the new hive before looking to see if the queen is released. If she is not. Pull three outside frames and open the cage on the bottom of the hive. That way she will run under the frames to hide and not decide to fly off. Now stay out for 10 days. Then go in briefly to find eggs and larvae and when you find them get out for another 10 days. After a month it is fairly safe to a leisurely educational inspection. ALWAYS pull an outside frame to give yourself room to slide frames away form the middle and lift straight out. That minimizes bees getting rolled. Keep your frames of foundation tight together, that will help them be drawn straight and minimize crosscombs. That is my short sermon. Best of luck and remember to have fun.